Mechanical Nanoresonator for Extremely Broadband Resonance

Abstract

In an embodiment, provided are nanoresonators, nanoresonator components and related methods using the nanoresonators to measure parameters of interest. In an aspect, provided is a nanoresonator component comprising an elongated nanostructure having a central portion, a first end, and a second end and an electrode having a protrusion ending in a tip that is positioned adjacent to the elongated nanostructure. The electrode is used to impart a highly-localized driving force in a perpendicular direction to the nanostructure to induce geometric non-linear deformation, thereby generating non-linear resonance having a broadband resonance range that spans a frequency range of at least one times the elongated nanostructure natural resonance frequency.

1 . A nanoresonator component comprising:
 an elongated nanostructure having a central portion, a first end, and a second end, wherein said central portion is positioned between said first end and second end, and each of said first and second ends are fixed in position; and   an electrode having a protrusion ending in a tip, wherein said tip is positioned adjacent to said elongated nanostructure central portion, and the longitudinal axis of said protrusion is substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of said elongated nanostructure;   
       wherein upon resonance said elongated nanostructure generates non-linear resonance having a broadband resonance range that spans a frequency range of at least one times the elongated nanostructure natural resonance frequency. 
     
     
         2 . The nanoresonator component of  claim 1  wherein said elongated nanostructure is a nanowire or a nanotube. 
     
     
         3 . The nanoresonator component of  claim 1 , wherein said tip comprises a tapered geometry. 
     
     
         4 . The nanoresonator component of  claim 1 , wherein said elongated nanostructure has a longitudinal length and said tip has a characteristic width, wherein said characteristic width is less than or equal to 10% of said elongated nanostructure longitudinal length. 
     
     
         5 . The nanoresonator component of  claim 1 , wherein said electrode has a substantially rectangular geometry, having a width in a direction in longitudinal alignment with said elongated nanostructure that is less than or equal to 10% the length of said elongated nanostructure. 
     
     
         6 . The nanoresonator component of  claim 1 , wherein said tip is positioned a separation distance from said elongated nanostructure, wherein said separation distance is less than or equal to 20 μm. 
     
     
         7 . The nanoresonator component of  claim 1 , wherein said elongated nanostructure has an outer diameter that is less than or equal to 300 nm and a length that is less than or equal to 100 μm. 
     
     
         8 . The nanoresonator component of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first end electrode connected to said elongated nanostructure first end; and   a second end electrode connected to said elongated nanostructure second end.   
     
     
         9 . The nanoresonator component of  claim 1 , wherein said broadband resonance ranges from the natural resonance frequency of said elongated nanostructure to 1 GHz. 
     
     
         10 . The nanoresonator component of  claim 1 , wherein the central portion corresponds to a point that is equidistant from said first end and said second end. 
     
     
         11 . The nanoresonator component of  claim 1 , wherein said electrode generates an electric field induced force on said elongated nanostructure central region, wherein said electric field induced force has a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said elongated nanostructure. 
     
     
         12 . The nanoresonator component of  claim 1 , wherein said elongated nanostructure is substantially tension-free at rest or has a tension smaller than that required to produce a corresponding strain of 0.002 in said elongated nanostructure at rest. 
     
     
         13 . A method of detecting a physical parameter with a nonlinear broadband nanoresonator, said method comprising:
 providing the nanoresonator component of  claim 1 ;   supplying an oscillating electric potential to said electrode tip to generate an oscillating driving point force positioned at said elongated nanostructure central region, wherein said driving point force generates a nonlinear resonance from the elongated nanostructure; and   measuring a resonance parameter, thereby detecting said physical parameter.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the supplied oscillating electric potential generates a periodic driving point force within said elongated nanostructure central region. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said physical parameter is
 mass of an analyte,   energy transfer between the elongated nanostructure and a second nanoscale device operably connected to the nanoresonator; or   a property of an environment surrounding said nanoresonator selected from the group consisting of pressure, viscosity, magnetic field, and electric field.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the resonance parameter is selected from the group consisting of:
 drop frequency or shift in drop frequency,   resonance bandwidth,   phase of the resonance;   amplitude; and   slope of the resonant curve at one or more selected frequencies.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising functionalizing at least a portion of said elongated nanostructure to facilitate specific binding between an analyte and said elongated nanostructure; wherein said measured resonance parameter indicates the presence or absence of said analyte. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the detection occurs under an environmental condition selected from the group consisting of:
 vacuum pressure;   atmospheric or ambient pressure;   at room temperature;   below room temperature; and   above room temperature.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the physical parameter is mass, and said method provides a sensitivity that is at least 1 femtogram or 1 attogram at room temperature. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the nanoresonator is driven at a sweeping resonant frequency, wherein said resonant frequency sweep ranges from a minimum that is less than or equal to 5 MHz to a maximum that is greater than or equal to 14 MHz. 
     
     
         21 . A method for measuring mass comprising the steps of:
 providing a nonlinear nanoelectromechanical resonator including an oscillating element and an electronic circuit to drive the oscillating element, the nanomechanical resonator exhibiting an initial jump frequency under vacuum or ambient conditions;   adsorbing mass onto the oscillating element;   determining the jump frequency of the nanomechanical resonator in the presence of the adsorbed mass, wherein the change from the initial value of the jump frequency indicates the magnitude of the mass added to the oscillating element.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the nonlinear nanoelectromechanical resonator comprises
 an elongated nanostructure having a central portion, a first end, and a second end, wherein said central portion is positioned between said first end and second end, and each of said first and second ends are fixed in position; and   an electrode having a protrusion ending in a tip, wherein said tip is positioned adjacent to said elongated nanostructure central portion, and the longitudinal axis of said protrusion is substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of said elongated nanostructure;   
       wherein upon resonance said elongated nanostructure generates non-linear resonance having a broadband resonance range that spans a frequency range of at least one times the elongated nanostructure natural resonance frequency.